Wrapdress
Foreasyfitand
fabulousstyle,it'sa
wrapsaysProduction
Editor Emily FreerSusan’seclecticcareerhasseenherliving
andworkingina Vietnamesesampleroom
factoryandworkingwithdesignerlabelsand
preparingcatwalklooksforfashionweekwith
JeanMuirandChristopherKane.Susan
describeshersixyearsspentatthelatteras
oneofherhappiesttimesintheindustry.“It
wasreallyexcitingworkingonoutfitsforKate
Middleton,SalmaHayek,andAlexaChung,
amongothers,duringmytimeatChristopher
Kane.It wasa fantasticteamtoworkwith, like
ourownweefamily,”sheexplains.
Susanhasbeena creativepatterncutter for
18 yearsandlovesthecombinationof
creativityandtechnicalskillrequiredinher
work.Mathsskillsandgoodspatialawareness
areotherkeyqualitiesinSusan’sday-to-day.
Whenofferingadviceforthoseinterestedin
pursuingpatterncuttingasa career,Susan
recommendsfindinga mentoraboveallelse,
“I wassoluckyinmyearlycareerworking
undersomeincrediblepatterns cutters who
trainedandguidedme.”
There’snotypicaldayforSusan,whoworks
asa freelancepatterncutteraswellasbeing
onehalfofHomerandHowells.Shemet her
businesspartnerNicola,a garment
technologist,whilststudyingattheScottish
CollegeofTextiles.Thepairestablished
HomerandHowellswhentheybothfound
themselveslivingbackinScotlandwithyoung
families.“Ourconversationskeptcomingback
to what can we do together in Scotland to use
ourskills.Wewerecravinga creativeproject
thatwouldworkaroundthenurseryrun,
utiliseourskills,andthatwefeltpassionate
about,andsoNiccameupwiththeideafor
HomerandHowells.Ourdesignprocessis
a realcollaboration,NicolaandI work
togethercloselyoneachstylebuttendto
approachthingsfromdifferentviewpoints,
whichwethinkimprovesthefinaldesign.”
BothSusanandNicolaloveboxyfitsand
bigpockets(muchtoourdelight).Their
designsaredistinctlytailoredand
androgynous,andtheirpatternsarea mix
ofsimpleandskills-boosters,“When
creatingourpatterns,wedon’tthinkin
termsofsewinglevel,welovecreating
modernstylesthatworkwithreallife.
Somewillbemoretechnicallycomplicated
thanothers,butoftensimplepatternssewn
wellina greatfabriccanaddsomuchmore
toyourwardrobethanan advanced or
complicatedmake.”
Lookingforward,HomerandHowells
havefourmorepatternsinthepipeline
anda newcollectionduelaterthisyear.
Asa company,SusanandNicolaare“keen
topromotea moreethicalalternativetofast
fashionandutilisetheskillswegainedin
industrytocreatewell-fitting and
timelessstyles.”
Asfortheindustryasa whole,Susan
hopessustainabilityandinclusivitywill
continuetohavea biginfluence.“I hope
thetrendforseasonlessgarments,
designedwithlongevityinmind,is hereto
stay.It’salsobeenrefreshingtoseevalues
ofdiversityandinclusionbreak through
infashion,”sheadds.
Keepaneyeoutfornewblogpostsand
sewalongs at http://www.homerandhowells.comminiprofile
SUSAN
HOWELLS
Th At e N d T
1940SWRAPDRESS,
SEWOVERIT
Getyourvintagestyleonwiththis
1940s-inspiredversatilewrap
dressthathastwosleeveandskirt
options.Witha frontcollarand
prettyshoulderpleatsthis
patternissuitablefor
intermediatetoadvanced
sewists.Findinsizes8–20at
http://www.sewoverit.co.ukSAINT GERMAIN
WRAPDRESS,
LIESL+ CO
Forget1970s-
styleknitwrap
dresses,thiscoolnewdesign
hasbeencreatedforwoven
fabrics,withpleatsinthe
bodiceandskirtforaneasierfit
andcomfort.Choosefromtwo
skirtandsleeveoptions,
availableinsizes0–20.Head
over to http://www.oliverands.comTRINAWRAPDRESS
Thesemi-fittedTrinawrapdresshas
dramatickimono-inspiredflared
sleevesandgathersabovethe
bust.Optforanelegantwrap
dressora stylishtunicwiththis
pattern.Thedesignisbest
suitedtolighttomid-weight
fabricswithsoftdrapesuchas
voile,chiffon,georgette,or drepe
dechine.Availablefrom
http://www.victorypatterns.
com in sizes 2–16.LLIRIADRESS
Thisdresscomes
straightfromthe1940s.It's
romanticandfeminineand
designedfordrapeylinens,
crepe,orsilk.Makeyourswith
orshortsleevesand
choosefromanoverthe
kneeormidilength.Thisis
anintermediatepatternand
theasymmetricbuttonclosures
offerplentyofbuttonhole
practice!Availablefromwww.
paulinealice.com in sizes 8–20.WWW.GATHERED.HOW/SIMPLYSEWING 11Pinboard